هل من سبيلٍ إلى رِيقِ المُريقِ دَمي

فما يُزيل سِوى ذاك اللَّمى ألَمي

Is there a way to the saliva of the kisser, my blood?

Nothing eliminates that pain except her lips.

يَشْفِي به من يُهينُ الدُّرَّ مَنْطِقُها

نَظْمَاً ونثراً بدُرِّ الثَّغر والكِلَمِ

It heals those who degrade the pearls with their speech,

In prose and poetry, with the full moons of lips and words.

رَوْدٌ تَرودُ حِمى قَلْبِي وتشربُ من

دَمْعِي وتسكن من صدري إلى حَرم

A gazelle that grazes the fever of my heart and drinks

My tears to settle down, from my chest to the sanctuary.

نادتْ محاسِنها العُشّاقَ مُعلِنةً

أنّ المَنى والمُنى في مُقْلتي وفمي

Her beauties called the lovers announcing

That wishes and desires are in my eyelids and mouth.

فما احْتكمْتُ وعيْنَيْها إلى فَمِها

إلاّ شُغِلتُ عن الخَصْمين بالحَكَمِ

I did not arbitrate between her eyes and mouth

Except I was distracted from the two opponents by the judge.

غَرّاءُ كالدُّرَّة البيضاء تَحْجُبُها

أستارُ بحرٍ بماء الموتِ مُلتَظِم

A fawn, like a white pearl covered by

Curtains of a sea with accumulated deadly waters.

تُهْوى فَتَهْوي المُنى دون اللَّحاقِ بها

أَفْدِيك مِن أَمَمٍ أَعْيَا على الأُممِ

She is loved so wishes plummet without catching up with her.

I ransom you from nations that grew weary of nations.

زارَتْ فَأَيْقَظتُ صَوْنِي في زيارتها

ليَقْظتي وَنَدَبتْ الحلْمَ للحُلُمِ

She visited, so I awakened my chastity with her visit.

For my wakefulness, she blamed dreams for dreaming.

آليتُ أسألُ إلْمامَ الخيالِ ولي

عَينٌ وقد ظَعَنَ الأحباب لم تَنَمِ

I asked the imam of imagination, and I have

An eye that stayed up while loved ones fell asleep.

كأنَّني بهمُ أَقْسَمتُ لا طَمِعت

طيبَ الكَرى فأبَرَّتْ مُقلَتي قَسَمي

It is as if I swore to them, I did not wish for

The good of times, so my eyelids absolved my oath.

وكيف لي يَوْمَ ساروا لو صَحِبْتُهمُ

مِن المطايا ورأسي مَوْضِعَ القَدِم

How could I, the day they left, accompany them

Riding and my head in the place of feet?

بانوا فَرَبْعُ اصطباري مُنذ بَيْنِهمُ

بالٍ كَرَبْعِهمُ البالي بذي سَلَم

They left, so my endurance since they left

Is afflicted like their afflicted with peace.

وا وَحْشَتي إذ أُنادي في مَعالِمِهمْ

صُمّاً تُجيبُ بما يَشفي من الصَّممِ

And my loneliness when I call in their dwellings

Deaf, answering with what relieves deafness.

يَشْكُو صَداها إلى عَيْنِي فَتَمْنَحُها

دَمْعَاً إذا فاض أَغْنَاها عن الدِّيَمِ

Its echo complains to my eyes, so they give it

Tears that overflow and suffice it from continuing.

وكلّما قال صحبي طالَ مَوْقِفُنا

فارْحلْ بنا قالت الآثارُ بل أَقِم

Whenever my companions said: prolonged is our standing,

Depart with us; the ruins said: No, stay.

مَنازِلٌ كلّما طال البِعاد عَفَتْ

كأنما تَسْتَمِدُّ السُّقْمَ من سَقَمي

Dwellings - the further the distance grew, they yearned

As if drawing illness from my own illness.

قِفوا فَأَقْوى غَرامي ما يُجَدِّدُهُ

برَسْمِه طَلَلٌ أقوى على القِدَم

Stop, so my passion strengthens what renews it

Of remnants - stronger with vestige than new.

قُل للأُلى غَرَّهمْ حِلْمي ونَقَّصَهمْ

إيّاكمُ وطريقَ الضَّيْغَمِ اللَّحِم

Say to those whose patience my calm shortened

Beware the path of tender meat.

فالحِلْمُ جَفْنٌ وإنْ سُلَّتَّ حَفيظتُه

فربّما كَشَفَتْ عن صارِمٍ خَذِمِ

For calm is an eyelid, and if its guardian sleeps

Perhaps a sharp ruthless sword is revealed.